Police Department

Arrest Made In Violent Unprovoked Downtown Assault Of Elderly Male

Ofc. Daniel Strassenberg, SPD PIO

Thursday, May 30, 2024 at 5:19 p.m.

On May 18^th, 2024 at just before 4pm, Spokane Police responded to the area of 3^rd and Monroe on a report of an assault.  Officers arrived to find an elderly male who had sustained significant bodily injuries from an assault.  The victim told law enforcement he had stopped to put mail in a nearby mailbox when he heard a male yelling.  For reasons unknown, the male walked up and punched the victim in the face.  The unprovoked violent attack knocked the 83-year-old victim to the ground, causing significant injury to one arm as well as the victim’s face.  The suspect left the area before officers responded and was not located at the time of the incident.

Detectives with the Major Crimes Unit (MCU) discovered the identity of this male suspect after an extensive investigation.

On May 30^th, officers with the Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF) located the suspect in the downtown area before 3pm and took him into custody without incident.  Richard S. Smith (18) was arrested and booked into the Spokane County Jail for 2^nd Degree Assault.

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